Illuminated train-order hoop



Jan. 27, 1931. R. B. CULBERTSON 5 3 ILLUMINATED TRAIN ORDER HOOP Filed July 27,1929

gwwnto o jay )5. 6 16136719072.

Patented Jan. 27, 1931 :-unis-Diem not B. cumnnrson, or a sum, ooLomo mummg ambmm noos I Ap lication med a m,

I This inventionrelates to improvements in train order hoops of the type employed for delivering orders to the engineer of a movingtrain.

In the operation of trainsit is often times necessary to deliver orders to the engineer at stations wherethe train does not stop, and forthispurpose it is customaryito attach the orders to ahoop which is held in close prX-' imity to the train so that the engineer'or firetaining the'order'in which case it becomes necessary to stop the train, which entails 'considerable loss oftime and expense.

It is theobject of this invention to produce a hoop which shall be provided with an: -=.8 electric light that is illuminated when the hoop is in position to be used and which thereforemakes' it possible for the engineerto see the positionof the hoopeven onthe darkest night, and by this means the danger of miss- ).Sl

the hoop is almost entirely obviated. t is another object of this invention to produce a hoop of the type referred to above which shall have a handle provided with a socket in which the hoop is removably held when in use and which therefore makes it easy to remove the hoop as compared with the present practice where the hoop is held in the h and of an attendant from which it mustbe removed by the use of considerable force.

The above and other objects that may be; come apparent as the description proceeds are attained by the means of a construction and anarrangement of parts that willnow be described in detail, reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment thereof has been illustrated and in which: Fig. 1 is aside elevation of; the improved hoop, parts thereof being broken away so as 19291 ;]sam no. 381,639.

to better disclose-the construction and the battery casing being shown in section. 7 Fig.2 is asection through the upper end of the battery casing and the socket and shows the lower end of the shank of the hoop in elevation, a portion ofthe shank beingshown in section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the shank, taken on line 33 Fig. 1. I

1 Fig. i is a side elevation of the u per end of thehoop showing a slightly modiiied form of construction and Fig.5 is a section taken'on line 5-5 Fig. 4.

In-the drawing numeral 1 represents the straight shank of the hoop. The upper end of the shank has been curved so as to form a closed loop, or hoop, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The end of the part forming the hoop 'is secured to theshank'by meansof a wire loop 2 or by anyother'suitable'fastening device. The loop portion has been indi- 1 cated' by referencenumeral 3. The hoop may be made from wood, from rubber composition or from any other suitable mate rial. The material employed should be light and strong and should be able to. withstand very severe usage. The lower end of theshank has secured to .opposite' sides" thereof contacts 4 and5, which are held in place by means ofscrews 6. WVi'res 7 each have one end connected with one of the contact plates, and extend upwardly along the outer surface of the hoop which is provided with grooves for the reception of these wires, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Se

cured to the upper portion of the hoop is a metal casing 8, within which is located a lamp 9. The wires 7 are connected with the two terminals of this lamp, so that when a suitable source of electric current is connected' withhontacts 4; and '5 the lamp will be. illuminated. The housing 8 is held'in place by means of screws 10 and is provided on opposite sides with openings 11, with which the lamp is in alignment, so that when the lamp is illuminated light will shine through openings 11 to both sides of the hoop and therefore the position of the hoop can readily be determined on the darkest night.

For the purpose of attaching train orders to the hoop a spring 12 has been provided. This spring has one end secured to the shank by means of screws or rivets 13, and its free end 14 rests against the side of the shank so that the train orders may be put'into position between the spring and the shank and will be held securely in place.

In order to make the lamp operate it is necessary to provide a source of electric current, and for this purposeI have'pr'ovided two batteries 15 of the type em loyed in connection with the ordinaryflash ights."

These batteries have a central terminal lfi at one end of the cylindrical wall, which forms the other terminals. For the purpose of holding the batteries I have provided a casing 17 which is of the proper size to receive the batteries. The lower endof this casing is closed by means of a cover 18, and the top 19 is provided with a square socket 20. The metalof the casing and of the socket is electrically connected with the cylindrical terminal of the battery. Secured to the inner surface of one side of the shank,

20 is an insulating member 21. ,A spring 22 is secured to the socket and to the insulating member by means of rivets 23 that are separated from the metal portion of the socket by means of insulating bushings 24, in the manner shown in Fig. 2. The upper end-of spring 22 extends upwardly-approxi;

mately to the upperend of the socket, and

rests against the inner surface of the insulating member. This spring is bowed inwardly in the manner shown. The lower end of spring 22 terminates in the upper portion. of the battery casing and has a transversely extending part 25 that is readily removed from the socket, as there is no necessity for any great amount of frictlon as it is merely necessary to form such electrical contact between the socket and spring 22 and the contacts on the end of the shank that current will flow to the lamp.

In Figs. 1 and 5 I have shown a modified form of construction. In the embodiment illustrated in these figures the metal housing 8 has been dispensed with, and the hoop has been provided with a thickened portion '26 The shank and socket at its upper end. A hole 27 is bored diagonally inward from one side. This hole is of such size that it will receive the bulb 9 of the lamp. A socket 28 is secured in an extension of the hole 27 in the manner shown in Fig. 5.' The socket is provided with the usual center and outside contacts to which the wires .7 are connected, and therefore when the lamp is in position in the socket and the shank is in position in socket 20, lamp 9 will be illuminated. The hoop is also provided with an opening 29 that permits light-to shine through to the other side thereof. When the hoop is constructed in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the lamp is fully protected against injury and at the same time the lamp is visible from eith sideof the hoop.

With the parts constructed in the manner shown and described, let us assume that it is necessary to deliver a train order to the engineer of a moving'train on a dark night. The order isput in place between the shank andspring 12, after which the end of the shank isput into the socket 20. As soon as the shank; is introducedinto socket'20, lamp.

9 :will be illuminated and will visible through the openings 11 in'the dprot'ecting 29 ifthe construction shown in Figs. 41 and 5 is emcasing 8, or throughholes 27 an ployed. The person who is to deliver the message grasps the casing 17 andholdsthe hoop in a position from which it can be reached'by the engineer orv the fireman on board the train lVhen the train approaches;

the engineerior fireman extends an arm through thehoop portion and carries the hoop and the orders away. After the orders have been removed, the hoop is thrown on the ground and is later of the station attendants.

From the. above description it will be seen that I have produced a train order hoop, which in addition to the usual hoop construction, is provided with an incandescent lam that is attached to the hoop portion, and have also provided a battery casing having a socket which is. adapted to receive the shank of the hoop, and to establish electrical connection between the batteries and the lamp.

In theconstruction shown and described,

the lamp issurrounded by'a guard that protects it against injury when it is thrown to the ground and when it is otherwise subjected to rough; usage. Since the attendant, who is holding the train order hoop, uses the casing 17 as a handle, very little efiort is necessary to remove the hoop-and there is also no danger 'ofthe attendant being injured as sometimes happens when he holds the shank in his hand asthe quickness with which the hoop is removed does not give him sufiicient time to release his gras with the result that injury sometimes is e ected.

picked up by'some Having described the invention what I claim as new is:

1. A train order hoop having one end formed into a 100 and the other comprising a straight shan portion, an incandescent lamp secured to the loop portion, electric contacts secured to the shank portion, a battery casing having a tubular socket attached thereto and adapted to receive the shank portion and an insulated resilient contact 10- cated in the socket and adapted to cooperate with the contacts on the shank portion.

2. A train order hoop comprising in combination a closed loop havlng a straight shank extending from one side thereof, an incandescent lamp secured to the hooppor tion, a guard enclosing the lamp, two electrical contacts secured to the shank and insulated from each other, electric conductors extendin between the contacts and the terminals o the lamp, a battery casing provided at one end with avtubular socket, said socket having two terminals, said terminals" being electrically connected with terminals of the batteries, and means for making electrical connection between the contacts on the shank and contacts in the socket.

3. In a train order hoop in combination 7 abattery casing, batteries located within the casing, two spaced terminals carried by the i casing, each of said terminals being electrically connected with one of the battery terminals, an incandescent lamp carried 7 by the loop portion of the hoop, means car rled by the hoop for making electrical connection between the lamp and terminals on the battery casing, and a guard for protecting the lamp against injury. 7 a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROY B. CULBERTSON. 

